At 14 months old, Haven Shepherd lost both her legs below the knee in Vietnam. She miraculously survived her biological parents’ family suicide bombing. Just six months later in 2004, she was adopted by Shelly and Rob Shepherd and brought to the U.S. Since then, Haven has dedicated her life to pushing limits, helping others, and overcoming the odds. “She chooses joy every day. She chooses to be a survivor,” Shelly says about her daughter’s daily perspective. Haven is the youngest of seven children in the Shepherd family, and she credits much of her perseverance, courage, and positive attitude to her siblings and parents. As a Paralympic hopeful, swimmer, motivational speaker, lover of life, and ambassador for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Haven instills hope and self-acceptance in each child. “I guess it’s all about perspective. I’ve never looked at not having legs as a negative,” she says.
Being an active teenager, I wanted a foot that can keep up with my lifestyle. I don’t want to be held back from being independent and active just because I’m an amputee. I do CrossFit using my Soleus, but it also helps me keep up on uneven terrain and stairs. I’ve never had a foot that comes close to meeting my needs like this one does. I can honestly say the Soleus changed my life.